4. Attitudes + Cognitive Dissonance

Lecture 3 + Chapter 6

Attitude

Evaluation of a person object or issue

Affective component

Emotional reaction to attitude object

Behavioral component

Behavioral tendencies associated with attitude

Cognitive component

Beliefs about attitude object

Explicit attitude

Consciously reportable evaluation

Implicit attitude

Automatic evaluation that may be outside awareness

Attitude strength

Degree an attitude is durable accessible and influential

Cognitive dissonance

Discomfort from inconsistent attitudes beliefs or behavior

Counterattitudinal advocacy

Publicly expressing a position contrary to private belief

Insufficient justification

Weak external reason for counterattitudinal behavior

Free choice

Perceived autonomy that can increase dissonance

Induced compliance

Attitude change after voluntarily performing counterattitudinal behavior

Postdecision dissonance

Discomfort after choosing between attractive alternatives

Spreading of alternatives

Increasing liking for chosen and decreasing liking for rejected option

Effort justification

Valuing an outcome more after working hard for it

Sunk-cost effect

Continuing investment because of irrecoverable prior costs

Self-affirmation

Protecting self-integrity by affirming another valued domain

System justification theory

Motivation to see existing social arrangements as fair and legitimate

Compensatory stereotype

Belief that disadvantages are offset by other positive qualities

Terror management theory

Worldview and self-worth can buffer anxiety about mortality

Mortality salience

Accessibility of thoughts about one's own death

Symbolic immortality

Sense of lasting significance through culture groups or legacy

Worldview defense

Defending cultural beliefs when threatened

Balance theory

Preference for consistency among attitudes toward people and objects in a relationship

Attitude accessibility

How readily an attitude comes to mind when encountering its object

Attitude importance

Extent to which an attitude is personally meaningful or tied to values

Attitude certainty

Confidence that ones attitude is correct

Theory of planned behavior

Behavioral intentions are shaped by attitudes subjective norms and perceived behavioral control

Subjective norm

Perceived social pressure about whether to perform a behavior

Perceived behavioral control

Belief about ones ability to perform a behavior

Electromyography EMG

Measure of muscle electrical activity that can detect subtle facial reactions

Covert attitude measure

Indirect assessment intended to reduce bias from deliberate self-report

Demand effect

Changes in participants responses because they infer what researchers expect

Irrevocable choice

Decision that cannot easily be reversed, may increase postdecision rationalization